


Just a Wedding

by OnceuponaSwan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23388541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceuponaSwan/pseuds/OnceuponaSwan
Summary: Emma Swan has been scorned by love, and when a family wedding arises, she can't show up without a date. Killian Jones has worked alongside Emma for years, but she's David's sister, which means she's off-limits. However, when Emma needs someone to pose as her date to the wedding, she finds the perfect candidate.A fake dating/secret relationship because that has been my jam lately.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 18
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been a big fan of reading fake dating/secret relationship fics, so this happened.

“Earth to Detective Emma Swan.”

Emma snaps out of her daze to see Killian Jones sitting at the edge of her desk, waving his hand in her face. “Ah, she wakes!”

She slaps his hand away from her face, mumbling under her breath that she needs coffee or something stronger. However, she’s at work, so that wouldn’t really go over well. Making her way to the Keurig — after countless letters to the office administrator about replacing the coffee machine with something more up-to-date, they finally got the Keurig — Emma presses the largest size cup of coffee to make. 

“Really not in the mood, Jones.”

He rests his hip against the counter across from her with an eyebrow arched. “Sorry, Swan.”

She manages to give him a small, fake smile. “It’s not you…”

“It’s me?” he asks, laughing under his breath. 

“Ha,” she rolls her eyes at him, stirring in a large amount of creamer. Seriously, how people drink coffee black, she will never know. Those people cannot be trusted, especially those people who don’t drink coffee at all. How appalling. “It’s just a family thing.”

David Nolan, their lieutenant, comes into the room. “Swan, Jones. How are you this fine morning?”

“Oh just dandy, Dave!” Killian gives him a cheery response, winking at Emma from across the room. “How is that wonderful wife of yours?”

David gives Killian an unamused glance, directing his attention back to Emma. “Mom wants to know if you're going to come to the wedding.”

David Nolan may not be Emma’s biological brother, but ever since his mom adopted her when she was a teenager, he’s a brother in the ways that count. Like him disapproving of every man she dates. However, there is no man currently, hence her bad mood. Family weddings are full of pressure that Emma just can’t stand. All her cousins are married or in meaningful relationships. Emma, on the other hand, hasn’t had a real relationship since Neal broke her heart ten years ago. Although she’s 28, she really has no desire to get married. She always thought she did better on her own, anyway.

Killian takes this as a cue to leave the room. He can sense the reason for Emma’s bad mood this morning has something to do with the wedding David mentioned. It can be a real treat working with the brother-sister duo, but Killian has been at the station for over 10 years, serving alongside David. Emma came along a couple years ago after wanting a more steady work schedule that her bail bonds job didn’t afford her. The two siblings get along…for the most part.

They've become friends of sorts, always partnered with one another. She’s a fine detective — somehow always getting the suspects to answer her. It’s entertaining to watch her, and Killian can’t help but admire her strong personality. 

But, like every bad romance novel, she is off-limits. You can’t date your best mate’s sister. That’s just the rules, or so his sister-in-law has told him countless times. He hates how right Belle is sometimes, and by sometimes, he means all the time. Nonetheless, he can continue to be her friend. Wouldn’t want to mess up two friendships at one time.

Emma comes out of the break room shortly after, followed by David who still has a smile upon his face. David Nolan may the most cheerful person he has ever come across. That cheer certainly never rubbed off on Emma for the amount of time she has been his sister.

She comes over to her desk, snatching her leather jacket with a “be right back” thrown over her shoulder. He watches her go, turning around to David who has sat back down at his desk to file paperwork. “Where is she off to?”

“You know Emma, sometimes she just needs to cool off,” David doesn’t bother to lift his eyes from the paperwork he’s filing. “Give her a few minutes; I’m sure she’s going to come back with donuts for all of us.”

“Aye,” Killian leans back in his chair, “and she’ll eat the bear claw before we even have the chance to claim it for ourselves.”

Killian gets up to start his patrol route. He rounds the corner of the building to where his car sits to see Emma sitting with her back against the wall. She’s staring down at her phone in concentration. He should leave her alone — she’ll probably end up kicking his shin if he asks her what she’s doing out here.

“David have you come check on me? I’m an adult and can take care of myself. You can tell him that,” Emma calls out from her spot on the ground.

Sighing, he makes his way over to her, leaning against the brick wall. “I was actually just on my way to patrol for the day. You know, some people work around this place on occasion.”

“Hmmm.” Emma ignores his comment, focusing once again on her phone. 

He kicks at a stray rock, whistling a tune. “Well, Swan, it’s been a great chat. I’ll see you later.” “Wait,” he stops at the sound of her voice. “Can I come with you? I could really use a distraction.”  
“Am I a good distraction then, Swan?” Killian turns back to see her getting up from the ground. 

“Don’t make this a thing, Jones. The less time I spend in that station, the less time David can try to guilt trip me.” She walks past him, grabbing the keys from where they hand from his fingers. “I’ll drive.”

Watching after her in shock, Killian jogs to catch up with her. He makes his way up to her again, snatching the keys back. “My car, Swan. Let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

Emma and Killian sit outside a suspect's house, awaiting the moment he makes the idiotic decision to come outside. Patrols were common during Emma’s bail bonds days, but those days are behind her. She never realized how boring they could be.

“So, I was watching the news last night,” Killian turns to look at her from the driver’s seat. “Said people who evade conversations are usually criminals.”

Emma glares at him from across the console. “That’s a load of crap, Jones.”

“Right, so what’s going on in the head of Emma Swan?”

“Wow,” she crosses her arms across her chest. “This was your smooth segue to see what’s plaguing me?”

There’s silence for a couple minutes as they both glare at one another. Emma is not going to break — she’s not really one to share her feelings and definitely not to Killian Jones. Who knows who he would tell to make fun of her at the station. That's why she decides that the best way to shut him up is to blast Taylor Swift in the car and sing real loud. He gets so angry when she does that.

When hours pass, and Killian gives Emma the cold shoulder for at least 3/4 of their stakeout due to the TSwift jam session she had for about an hour straight, they decide to call it a day. As they drive back to the station, he slams the car shut as she runs up beside him.

“Seriously, you could have just turned down the radio,” she grabs onto his arm to stop him from entering the station.

He shrugs off her touch, giving her an eye roll. “I don’t understand you, Swan. I thought maybe we were friends, but every time I get you to talk, to open up, you act so damn childish. Plus, I like Taylor Swift! See how easy it is to be honest and talk?”

Emma manages to keep a straight face and not laugh out loud at that admission. Who knew? Killian Jones is a secret TSwift stan. She would have pegged him as an exclusive rock and roll fan. Now, this she definitely needs to tell David about. The cocky, bad boy Killian Jones likes pop music. 

“We are friends,” she says. “I just don’t like divulging my feelings like some sad girl writing in her diary.”

Killian watches as she shrugs her shoulders with a carefree smile plastered across her face. One day, he’s going to get Emma Swan to tell him a secret. One day, she’s going to actually know that he looks at her as more than a friend, but that’s far into the future. Knowing her, if he told her that, she would hightail it to Arkansas by the end of the day today. For now, he would be satisfied with knowing what happened this morning to put her in such a mood.

“I’ll buy you a frozen hot cocoa if you tell me what’s gotten into you today?” He knows the fastest way to get Emma to do something is to bribe her with her favorite drink. It’s playing dirty, but he is one of the best detectives for a reason.

She contemplates her decision before rolling her eyes. “You know me too well, Jones. Lead the way,” she gestures to him to the cafe across the street.

They make their way across the street together. Once they’ve both received their orders, they walk back to the station, but before they enter the building, Emma pulls him off to the side.

“Is this where people go to secretly make out during the day, because I have to say, Swan, I would never have expected this of you,” he moves closer to her.

Taking a step back, she rolls her eyes at him once again. “Not going to happen, Romeo. If you have to know why I’ve been in a bad mood this morning, it’s because I have a family wedding coming up.”

He expects her to continue, but she doesn’t, just continues to sip from her cup. Arching a brow, he says, “And…?”

“And,” she cuts a glare at him as if she’s offended he even asked her to expand on the reason for her mood. “My family has always been on me about being single and never having a boyfriend for extended periods of time. I’m almost 30, and I just can't take the looks I get or the ‘oh, Emma, it’ll happen for you one day’ speeches anymore!”

Killian leans back against the wall, watching as she starts to pace back and forth. Clearly, Emma Swan isn’t as cool and composed as she would like for him to think. “You know, Swan, women on Hallmark movies always have this problem, and they usually find a dashing rapscallion to accompany them as their fake boyfriend.”

“We’re going to come back to the fact you watch Hallmark movies, but what exactly are you proposing here? That I take you as my fake boyfriend?”

He holds his hands up in the air. “Don’t act like you’re repulsed by me. I see the way you ogle me.”

She starts to defend herself against that claim, but instead punches his shoulder. “We can’t pretend to be together.”

“Why not?”

“For one: David. He would never be able to keep that secret, especially with Mary Margaret at his side. I love my brother and his wife, but they are the biggest gossips. Plus, my mom knows you.”

“Picture this,” he splays out his hands as if he’s about to paint a picture. “We’re working late one night, I look into your eyes and you look into mine, and all of a sudden, we realize we are madly in love with each other after all these years.”

Emma quirks an eyebrow at him. “You saw that on a Hallmark movie, didn’t you?”

“A gentleman never reveals his secrets.”

“This is a pretty hefty proposition you’re offering me, Jones. You do realize, this would entail you traveling to Maine, right? And not just for the wedding but for the rehearsal dinner and any other family gatherings that might happen. My family are going to be asking you about a million questions.”

Killian steps closer to her, and this time, Emma doesn’t take a step back. “It would be an honor to be your fake boyfriend. So, what do you say, Swan?”

Looking down at her feet to avoid his eye contact, she decides that she doesn’t want to go to the wedding alone, but going with Killian Jones could be worse. However, maybe it’s not the worst idea ever. It happens in Hallmark movies all the time, right?

“You own a tux, Jones?”


	3. Chapter 3

Killian returns home that night exhausted. There’s something about sitting in a car for hours on end that leaves him wanting to sleep for the rest of the week. Just as he opens a beer, a knock sounds on the door. Shrugging off his leather jacket, he opens the door to Liam, Belle and their toddler, Mia. He forgot he invited them over for Friday dinner tonight.

Mia barrels ahead of her parents, hugging onto Killian’s ankles. She’s only two and a half, but she’s far advanced for her age — probably due to the fact her mom is a college professor and her father the head of a shipping company in Boston. He knew that the moment she was born, she was destined to be a doctor. 

“Uncle Killy, I draw a picture for you!”

He kneels down to her height. “This is great, little one.” It’s a picture of a boat in the harbor. Taking it, he hangs in on his fridge so it’s in view when they first walk into the kitchen.

Belle sets up Mia in the living room with a coloring book and turns on the TV to one of her favorite shows to keep her occupied. Since Killian isn’t much of a cook, he brings out the menu to the local pizzeria down the street. Normally, Belle is in charge of cooking the Friday dinner, but with finals coming up, he didn’t want to hassle her too much with the task, so he volunteered. Little did he know that he would have such an interesting day and leave him just wanting to sit on his couch drinking beer.

Liam gives his younger brother a look. “You look perplexed.”

“You could say that,” he logs onto his computer to order the pizza so it’s here before Mia has to go to bed. “Just work…things.”

Belle looks around at that, arching an eyebrow at him. “Let me guess, it has something to do with Emma Swan. What did she do this time?”

At that, Liam cracks open a beer for himself, kicking his feet back to hear the daunting tale. “Of course it’s about her! Every time Killian seems flustered, it’s because of her. I can’t wait to meet this lass.”

“It might be sooner than later,” Killian mumbles from his place at the counter. 

“What does that mean?” Liam asks.

Coming to take a seat at the table, he runs a hand through his dark hair. “She’s been in a tizzy over a wedding family, and I uh, sort of told her I would pose as her fake boyfriend to get her family off her back about being single.”

Both parties stare in shock at Killian, Belle looking the most shocked. “Why the bloody hell would you do that?!” Liam asks.

“Because he’s in love with her!” Belle says from across the table. “It’s just like in the Hallmark movies when—“

Liam interrupts, “What is up with the two of you and these Hallmark movies? Killian, you’re just going to get hurt. From what you’ve told us, Emma can barely stand you.”

“We’re friends. Or at least, acquaintances.”

Killian has thought about the fact that this may end with Emma breaking his heart, but he couldn’t let her go by herself. He wants the best for her, even if he knows it may never end with them together. Selfishly, he hopes that it’ll end up that way. Like Liam said, she can barely stand him at times. She never gives him the time of day or makes an effort to have a conversation with him. It shouldn’t bother him, he’s a 34-year-old man, not a teenager with a crush on a girl.

Belle gives him a sad look. “Killian, if she hasn’t shown interest yet, she’s not going to. I’m sorry for being so blunt, but I know how women are, and Emma Swan doesn’t seem like a woman that would protect your heart. We only want what’s best for you.”

Liam nods his head in agreement as Killian spins his empty bottle on the table. Maybe it was a stupid idea to accompany her to this wedding, but deep down, he knows there’s more to Emma than meets the eye. Perhaps if she can see the type of man he actually is, she might have a change of heart. 

Just then, his phone vibrates in his pocket.

ES: So, I’m watching a Hallmark movie…thought you’d want to know.  
KJ: Oh, love, trying to woo me already? Save something for the family.  
ES: I regret agreeing to this.  
KJ: You won’t regret it. I promise. ;)  
ES: Night, Jones.

He looks up from his phone with a smile plastered on his face. Both Belle and Liam are looking at him, almost like they know who he was just texting. Thankfully, they’re saved by the bell and the Killian goes to tip the pizza boy. He brings the boxes back to the table, the smell of garlic wafting through the air. Belle goes to get Mia who is going on and on about something that just happened in the show she was watching.

They sit down to dinner, laughing as Belle tells them stories about her college students. Sometimes, Killian wishes he could go back to that time. The time where he didn’t get hurt by Milah; to the time where he didn’t know Emma and feeling like his heart breaks every time she rejected his flirting. However, he’s also pretty happy where he is today: a detective, a brother, an uncle, a friend. 

“Killian, there’s this librarian I know at the college who you’d be perfect for,” Belle says, snapping him from thoughts of Emma and her long, blonde hair.

He glances at her, surprised she would suggest that after the conversation they just had. “Wow, you really are against Emma.”

“I’m against anyone who baits my brother-in-law and uses you for her own selfish reasons.”

They stare at each other while Liam lets out a cough to ease the tension radiating through the room. Mia is oblivious to it all, chewing on her cheese pizza. 

“It was my idea!”

“That she went along with knowing how you feel about her!”

“Belle, Killian,” Liam warns as Mia stops chewing, taking in the angry looks on her mom’s and uncle’s faces. “We can discuss this later.”

Killian gets up, taking his plate to the sink. “The conversation is over. It’s neither of your business what I do and do not do. I chose to do this — this was my decision, and if you have a problem with that, then you can get out.”

“Killian,” Belle starts to apologize. 

“Don’t bother.” Killian knows he’s being stubborn, but his brother and his wife still treat him like he’s the little kid he was years ago. 

***

Emma throws a blanket over herself as she sits down to another Friday night of doing absolutely nothing in her pjs. It’s just after 9 when Killian texts her that he’s heading to their usual bar, if she wants to join him. She glances down at her sweats and makes her way to her room to put on a pair of jeans and a light sweater. Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she’s grateful she didn't wipe off her makeup just yet. 

When she arrives, Killian is sitting next to Will Scarlett, one of the police officers at their precinct. He nurses a rum as she walks over to the two men, ordering a rum and Coke for herself.

They don't talk much, and Emma’s surprised she even agreed to come out tonight. The TV was practically calling her name, but for some reason, hanging out with Killian Jones seemed a more appealing of an option.

“Don’t you have Friday dinners with your brother and his family?” she asks him as Will stumbles across the bar to say hello to other officers.

Killian looks up from his rum, “yeah, but we had a bit of a disagreement, and I kicked them out.”

From what Emma knows of Killian and his brother is that they’re close. David says they’re the only family each other has, so she’s surprised that he kicked him out. She wonders what it was about but is too afraid to ask. “So you turned to rum?”

“I turned to you, Swan.” He meets her eyes and she looks away, seeing the intensity in his stare.

They order another round of drinks before they call it a night. Will has taken to talking to some redhead, so they wish him a good night before venturing out into the warm April night. Killian stumbles a little, and she wonders how much he had to drink before she arrived. 

“How far is your place?” she grabs onto his arm when he starts to stumble into the street. 

“A few miles, but I’ll just call a cab.”

Emma contemplates that; she’s never seen him this bad before and she worries for him. “My apartment is just a couple blocks down. How about you crash on my couch tonight?”

He stops their walking, looking at her. “I knew you cared for me, love.”

Not responding, they arrive at her building moments later. He leans against the hallway wall as she unlocks the door to her one-bedroom apartment. It’s not much, but it’s hers. She brings him a couple of blankets and an extra pillow from her bed, motioning for him to lay down on the couch. When he does, she makes her way to the kitchen to get him a water bottle. She has a feeling he’s going to need it soon. 

As she makes her way to her bedroom to sleep, he calls after her. Stopping in her tracks, she listens as he begins to talk. “Emma.”

“Yes?” She waits for him to say something, but eventually walks away after a minute of silence. It’s not until she is about to close her door that she hears: “stubborn woman doesn’t even realize how wonderful she really is.”

Smiling to herself, she closes the door, hoping he leaves before she wakes up tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Killian awakes to a pounding in his head. He hasn’t gotten this bad since his college days, and even then, he was much younger to be able to deal with it. Now all he wants to do is vow to never drink again. Glancing around, he doesn’t recognize the sparse decorations that surround him in the unknown room that he’s in. He hopes he’s not in the apartment of some crazy woman. As a cop, he should know better. It’s then that he remembers exactly who he went home with last night. 

Sitting up, he puts his head in his hands as footsteps sound from the hallway.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” a voice that sounds like Emma says from somewhere behind him. Everything sounds so loud and fuzzy.

He turns to see her standing against the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in hand. She nods her head toward the coffee pot that still has some coffee in it. Grumbling, he rakes his hands through his hair before making his way to the coffee pot.

“Thanks, love.”

Emma makes to sit down, glancing at the clock to see it’s a little after ten. She taps her nails against her mug, trying desperately not to meet Killian’s eyes as she thinks about the message her mom left her this morning. That she’s so excited that Emma is bringing a boyfriend to the wedding and she wants to set up a weekend where she meets the guy in question.

Ruth knows Killian, but Emma wasn’t ready yet to tell Ruth who it is she’s bringing to the wedding. One thing led to another, and Emma agreed to visit this upcoming weekend with her new boyfriend in tow. Now, to break the news to said boyfriend standing across from her with wild hair and bags under his eyes. He really does look like he attended a rager last night.

“What happened last night?” Emma asks, wondering what prompted Killian to get so bad after kicking his brother and his wife out. “You were off when I got to the bar, and then, well, here we are.”

Killian sets his mug down. “I told you, I had a disagreement with my brother and his wife.”

“Why?”

He looks at her, hard. “Real rich that you’re pressing me for answers when you hide everything away from everyone who cares for you.”

“You’re really going to throw that back at me? Listen, whatever it was, we need to be able to be cordial to each other for this to work.”

“It takes two, love,” he bites.

They stare at one another for what seems like minutes, neither of them willing to break before the other. 

“Well, whatever, because your first duty as fake boyfriend is this weekend. My mom wants to meet my new boyfriend.”

Killian arches an eyebrow at her. “Ruth and I have met multiple times.”

Emma shrugs, a blush creeping onto her face. “I may have left out some details, such as your name and identity.”

“I guess, love, we’ll have to convince her we’re desperately in love.”

***  
Emma finishes throwing her bags in the back of her Bug when Killian comes driving up. He parks on the side of the road, heading to where Emma stands in leggings and an oversized sweater. Even disheveled, Killian thinks she looks beautiful. 

“We’re not driving in that, are we?” he questions her as he approaches her side.

Giving him a dirty look, she says, “why not?”

“Let your boyfriend take care of you; we’re driving in my car.”

Emma tries to argue with him, but to no avail. Sometimes she forgets that Killian is just as stubborn as she is. Over the the last few days, they’ve ironed out details of their fake relationship: they’ve been together for a little over a month; they enjoy boating on their weekends off; and Emma is the most stubborn one in the relationship. The last one was more of Killian’s statement that he wants to tell Ruth. Emma, on the other hand, would prefer if he left that one out. It could be worse, she guesses. 

The drive to Storybrooke is a little over three hours, so they start out their road trip relatively early that morning. The trip is silent for the most part, besides them fighting over what to listen to on the radio. While Emma likes to listen to music on road trips, she finds out that Killian prefers to listen to podcasts. So, she’s stuck listening to some man drone on about boats and knots and other boating things Emma doesn’t know about.

They arrive a little after noon, Ruth sitting out on her porch when they pull up. Ruth comes running toward the car, and Killian gets out to start removing the bags from the trunk. It’s when he walks over to the side where Ruth is hugging Emma that she stops, shock crossing her face as she looks at Killian and back to Emma again.

“Killian?!” Ruth exclaims, running over to him and pulling him into a big hug.

“Emma wanted it to be a surprise,” he gives her a kiss on the cheek. “You know how she can be.”

“Stubborn? Of course, I raised her during her rebellious teenage years, you forget.”

Emma walks over to them. “You know I can hear you, right?”

Ruth pats Emma on the cheek, “we still love you, dear.”

The three of them make their way into the house where Ruth’s chihuahua, Snow, comes running toward them. Emma smells her mom’s famous apple pie baking from the oven.

“You two will be in your old bedroom, Emma, and David and Mary Margaret will be—“

Emma and Killian look at each other, panic filling their eyes. Neither of them even thought of telling David yet. “Uh, David’s coming this weekend, too?” Emma asks her mom, trying to keep her voice even.

“He didn’t tell you?” she questions. “Not only do my two children work together, but they live in the same city. How is it that you two didn’t know you were both coming to Storybrooke?”

Killian gives Emma a wink. “Sorry, love, but Emma and I have been a little preoccupied.”

Emma groans, putting her face in her hands in embarrassment. “Killian!”

About an hour later, David comes barreling into the kitchen, yelling, “WE’RE HERE!”

Ruth goes to greet her son as Emma and Killian stay in the kitchen. “What do we do?” Emma whispers to Killian.

“Let me handle this, love.”

David sees Emma and Killian first, confusion crossing his face as he looks at Killian. “Killian, what are you doing here?”

“Mate, can we have a minute?” he asks David.

David nods, and the two men head to the back deck, leaving Emma twisting the ring on her finger. “So, what’s up?”

“There’s something Emma and I haven’t told you…”

“Yeah?”

Killian looks off into the distance, trees blocking the view from seeing anything. “We’ve been together for a little over a month now.”

David’s eyes flash with anger. “YOU WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU?!”

Emma and Mary Margaret come running outside. “What’s going on?” Mary Margaret asks, taking in the stance of both men.

“Killian has been sleeping with my little sister for over a month, sneaking around behind my back!”

Emma steps in, hands up. “Killian and I haven't just been fooling around; we’ve been dating. It’s as much my fault as Killian’s. This is exactly why we haven’t told anyone because we knew you would react like this.”

David continues to glare at Killian and then turns to face Emma. “I just thought my sister would have trusted her brother enough. My bad for thinking that family should trust each other and tell them important life decisions.”

With that, he storms back inside. Mary Margaret gives them a sad smile before following after her husband and to check on Leo. Emma pushes her hair behind her ears, leaning her elbows against the railing of the deck. Killian goes to stand beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. 

“Why did I agree to this again?” Emma asks quietly.

“He just needs to calm down; he needs the time. It’s a lot to get the news that his best mate and little sister are dating…” he hesitates on the word dating, knowing what him and Emma has isn’t exactly real. Oh, how he wishes it were real.

She looks at him, giving him a sad smile. They walk back into the house together, Killian grabbing her hand as everyone is sitting in the living room together, Leo trying to toddle across the room to Ruth as Snow tries to nip at his feet. It’s the image of a family Emma always thought about when she was growing up in foster care. Then, one day, she came back home to her foster home and was told she was being adopted by a woman and her teenage son. Emma had been 13 at the time — David 19, in his first year of college. However, that year, Emma had finally found a family. Her family. Mary Margaret came around a couple of years later, being added to the family Emma thought she would never have.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Ruth looks up at her daughter, as Emma wipes a stray tear from her eyes.

Killian pulls her into his side, giving her shoulders a small squeeze. She rests her head against his shoulder. “Fine.”

David doesn’t look up, but Emma can’t help but catch the smile Mary Margaret has plastered across her face as she looks at her sister-in-law and her boyfriend. Ever the romantic, even despite David’s gloominess over the relationship.

The family makes their way into town later that day, stopping at the park so Leo can swing for a few minutes. A few of Ruth’s friends stop by to talk with them — Ruth introducing Killian to them. The women seem to swoon over Killian, and Emma can’t help but roll her eyes as he charms the women, telling them made-up stories of how he wooed Emma into finally agreeing to go out with him.

“She just couldn’t resist me. Isn’t that right, love?”

Emma tries not to remark with a snarky response, instead saying, “he’s quite charming when he wants to be.”

The women seem to eat that up, telling Emma how lucky she is to have him. After Killian’s fangirls depart, they make their way to Granny’s. It certainly hasn’t changed since Emma left Storybrooke all those years ago. Granny still is at the front, chatting with her regular customers. However, as soon as she sees David and Emma walking into the front door, she nearly barrels them over with the weight of her hug.

“You two never visit me anymore!”

Emma pulls back first, giving Granny a smile. “We’re very busy. We wish we could come back more often.”

Granny turns to give Ruth and Mary Margaret a hello before her eyes rest on Killian, standing off to the side. “And who is this handsome young man?”

“This is…uh, my boyfriend, Killian Jones.”

Killian extends a hand to Granny, but she pulls him into a tight hug instead. “Nice to meet you. It’s so great to meet Emma’s boyfriend. You must be someone really special.”

“Killian was actually David’s friend in Boston. They all work together at the station.”

Granny continues to talk about how Emma never came around with a man. As she talks Killian’s ear off, Emma finds them a table big enough to fit them all. When Killian joins them, she notices a lipstick mark on his cheek. Before she realizes what she’s doing, she turns his head with her fingers, gently dabbing a napkin in her water before wiping it from his cheek. David watches the scene play out before him, turning away quickly to set Leo up in his booster chair.

After they order, Ruth asks Emma and Killian the question they have been dreading: “So, how did you two get together?”

David looks up. “For the record, we don’t want to hear every detail.”

Emma shifts in her seat uncomfortably, stepping on Killian’s foot in the process. He winces but sets his arm across her shoulder. 

“I always thought Emma was beautiful, smart, determined…it wasn’t hard to realize that she was the woman I wanted to spend my time with. She makes me a better man,” Killian says, gazing at Emma as she tries not to blush or look his way.

In their time they’ve known each other, Emma suspected that Killian’s feelings went beyond just friendship. She would sometimes look up to find him staring at her, like she was the only person in the world. His words make her uncomfortable, not used to the compliments being told to her. Ruth and Mary Margaret are swooning so much that they nearly fall out of their seats while Killian continues to paint a picture of how Emma and him fell for one another. It’s too much. Too much.

“I have to use the bathroom,” Emma says, suddenly, excusing herself from the table. She manages not to sprint to the bathroom, and when she gets inside, she leans against the stall door. Her face feels flushed and her heart beats wildly.

She doesn’t have feelings for Killian Jones. He’s her friend, her coworker, the station’s known womanizer. The man who constantly annoys her and listens to podcasts about boats. The last man she trusted with heart let her down. She’s not about to go down that road again. Plus, she’s older now, wiser. Letting someone in again isn't part of Emma Swan’s plans. 

Putting a hand against her forehead, she hears the door to the bathroom opening. “Emma?”

She peeks from the stall, seeing Mary Margaret. “I’m sorry, I just had to…”

“Emma, it’s okay to let someone love you again. I know what happened with you and Neal —“

Emma shakes her head. “Neal was a mistake. It’s just, I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Killian is a good man. David and I have known him for almost ten years, he’s a good man. A little intense, obviously, but I can tell her cares about you,” she says.

Emma wants to share with Mary Margaret her secret, that it's all fake, but she refrains. Instead, she nods her head, telling Mary Margaret they can head back to the table.

When she sits down besides Killian, he puts his arm back around her. “You okay, love?”

Nodding her head, she plays with the napkin on her lap. “Fine.”


	5. Chapter 5

Emma never wanted her life to feel like a Hallmark movie. Killian, on the other hand, was a different story. However, with every passing hour she spent with Killian, playing to be his girlfriend, she was finding it harder to pretend she didn’t actually have feelings for him. And she didn’t. He was still her annoying coworker who loved Captain Hook for some unexplainable reason.

Anyhow, Emma Swan did not have the time for romance. It was too much work, and it usually ended in heartbreak. So, by the time the weekend ended, she returned to work as if nothing happened. David sat at his desk, continually glancing at Emma and Killian each time they interacted. They were still co-workers, after all, so they still required to converse throughout the day. Unfortunately. 

However, David thought they were together. They had to act like they like each other, or at the very least, tolerate each other.

“Swan, Jones,” David jabs a thumb toward the exit. The two of them look at one another before following David outside. None of them speak until they are in the park down the street from the station.

Emma sits on the bench as David starts to pace in front of them. Killian leans against the side of the bench, watching as David mutters to himself. Still, he doesn’t make a move to say anything.

“Uh,” Killian scratches behind his ear, “what’s this all about?”

As if realizing that Emma and Killian were with him, he stops pacing for the moment. “You guys have to lay low about your…relationship status.”

Emma puts her hands up in defense. “It’s not like Killian is pressing me about against my desk and making out with me. David, Killian and I work together. Of course we’re going to talk; unless you transfer one of us.” She jokes.

David looks up at that. “There is an opening at —“

“Nope,” Emma interrupts him. “Wasn’t actually suggesting that. I’m fine where I’m at.”

“Me too, mate.” Killian finally says.

“This is all just pretty new and weird to me. I mean, you’re dating my sister, and you didn’t even tell me about it!”

Once again, David begins to pace. Emma slumps down in the bench, checking the chip in her nail polish. Killian, meanwhile, looks like he’s just got his puppy stolen from him. Killian is very much a people-pleaser, so having David look at him with such disdain right now is slowly killing him.

Listen,” Emma gets up from her spot on the bench. “It’s new for us, too, David, but you’re just going to have to suck it up.”

He looks at Emma briefly before looking down at his feet. “You’re right. I’m sorry if I’ve been acting like a…”

“Douche bag,” Emma finishes for him. “Can we just all go back to being friends and co-workers and siblings?”

After that, they all go for a bit to eat at the nearby deli. There's not much talking that takes place, but Killian is clearly distracted by something. A woman looks over her shoulder, catching his eye. She arches an eyebrow at him before walking over to the table. 

“Killian Jones, is that you?” The brunette smiles down at him, removing her sunglasses from her face. Her accent is similar to Killian’s. “Aurora. We knew each other back in high school.”

“In England?” Emma inquires, glancing at Killian. What are the chances of one of his girlfriends from high school showing up at the same deli they frequent?

Belle smiles at Emma and introduces herself to David and her. “Hi, I’m Aurora.”

Emma gives the woman a tight-lipped smile as David introduces himself when he notices Emma is staying quiet. “And this is my sister, Emma. She’s also Killian’s—“

“Girlfriend,” she supplies, giving the woman a satisfied smirk when her brows go up. 

Killian is up from his seat, giving Aurora a quick hug once the introductions have concluded. They talk about how Aurora has recently moved to the city with her new husband and that she works at the New York City Public Library. They exchange information to catch up, and Aurora waves to them as she leaves the deli shop.

It’s not jealousy that Emma feels. She can’t be jealous of something that's not even real. After all, Killian isn’t really her boyfriend; she doesn’t actually believe that he may have real feelings for her after this past weekend. Plus, Aurora is married. There is absolutely no reason to be jealous.

Yet, she is.

“So, old girlfriend?” Emma sits back in her chair waiting for Killian to explain who Aurora was to him back in high school. The woman is beautiful, and definitely Killian’s type. He usually goes after brunettes.

Killian focuses his attention back to her. “We had a fling for a while, but we were teenagers. It didn’t really mean anything.”

“One of Killian Jone’s conquests. Guess you’ve been a player since you were born, Jones.”

“Yet, there’s only one lass who piques my attention,” he winks at her, reminding her that David still sits at the table and believes them to be in a committed relationship. “Besides, it was over 15 years ago.”

David watches as the drama unravels, taking tentative bites of his sandwich. “I think I remember you mentioning her.”Killian shoots David a glare. “She was my first girlfriend.”

“How special!” Emma mocks, getting up from her seat to get more sugar packets for her coffee. Also, she needs to get away before the unwelcome jealousy makes her do or say something stupid.

Again, she is totally not jealous.

Shortly after, they return to the station to finish up for the day. Emma avoids Killian as much as she can, still thinking about the way how he hugged Aurora. It was just a hug you would give any friend. Except that it lingered.

She’s married, Emma. It was over 15 years ago. She reminds herself.

Just as she’s stepped up to her car, Killian grips her bicep, stopping her from getting into her car. “Something upset you, Swan?”

She throws her bags into her passenger’s seat, shaking her head. “Nah. Just can’t wait to get home. There’s a frozen pizza in my freezer calling my name.”

“Ever since the deli, you’ve been acting weird.”

“Me?” She lets out a laugh that she knows he’ll think is fake. “Aurora seems lovely, Killian. No wonder you used to date her.”

He leans against her car with a smug look plastered across his face. “Are you jealous of her?”

With that, Emma gets into her car, shaking Killian’s hand off the car door. “See ya tomorrow, Jones.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst ahead. Sorry...:P

Upon arriving home that night, Emma looks up Aurora, noting that she’s currently engaged, if that huge diamond on her finger is evidence of her engagement. Sighing, she slams her laptop shut, taking a sip from her beer and switching on Netflix. By the time she’s drunk two beers and made her way through six episodes of her current show she’s binging, she heads to bed.

When she gets to the station the next morning, she heads straight to her desk. She can see Killian from the corner of her eye making his morning coffee. The coffee smells heavenly, but she’s trying her best not to talk to Killian after yesterday’s weird jealousy thing. However, life has never gone her way and he's setting a paper cup of steaming coffee in front of her. Right as she looks up at him, she sees David talking to another detective. 

Right. Got to keep up appearances.

“Thanks,” she mumbles, grabbing the closest case file. She doesn’t even care what it is, she just needs a reason to be out of the station for most, if not all, of the day. 

Killian sits on the edge of her desk, taking a sip from his coffee. Sighing, she leans back in her chair, waiting for him to say anything. David beats him to it when he asks if they want to go to the Rabbit Hole for drinks tonight. It’s Mary Margaret’s friend’s birthday. Normally, Emma would instantly say no to an outing with Mary Margaret and her school friends, but Killian says yes right away, and since she’s technically supposed to be his girlfriend, there’s no way out of it.

Emma gives a fake smile when David walks away to text his wife. When Emma knows he’s out of ear shot, she turns on Killian. “What the hell, Killian?”

He shrugs. “What? That’s our normal bar anyway, so it can’t be that bad.”

“Easy for you to say,” Emma slumps in her chair. “You’ve never been out with a bunch of fourth grade teachers.”

“Cheer up, Swan,” he gets up and puts his hands on the back of her chair. “Any outing with me is fun.”

How she wishes that was true. It’s not that Mary Margaret’s friends are awful — they’re actually real sweet — she can just tell that they look at her with pity. There’s nothing more Emma hates than being pitied. Sure, her childhood sucked, but she made it through. She’d rather leave the past in the past. It’s something her and Killian have in common. The one thing they have in common.

The day goes back smoothly, and she manages to stay out of the station for most of the day. She only had to interact with Killian once. So, when she walks into the Rabbit Hole sans Killian, she gets a worried look from her brother.

“Where’s Killian?” he asks.

Emma slides into the booth across from him and Mary Margaret and Ashley. “We live in opposite directions, so he's meeting us here.”“Emma,” Mary Margaret reaches across the table to hold her hand. “He’s your boyfriend now, he should pick you up.”

“Wanted some alone time,” Emma says. As soon as the waiter comes over, she makes sure to order her normal rum and coke and a shot of tequila. If she’s stuck hanging out with her brother, his wife and her friend, and Killian, she’s going to need some alcohol to get her through.

Killian slides into the booth beside her not five minutes later. Instantly, he puts his arm around her and pulls her close to kiss the side of her head. She’s still not used to his easy affections, especially the ones that seems so natural for him. It’s not that she thinks Killian is horrible to look at…it’s just that she doesn't do the dating and cuddling and cutesy looks. That’s more David and Mary Margaret’s thing.

Once everyone has their drinks, there’s an awkward silence. Ashley starts to talk about how she’s teaching her students multiplication, Mary Margaret joining in on the conversation while the rest of the table listens. Well, mostly listens. Emma didn’t enjoy school then, and she definitely doesn’t enjoy it now. Especially on a Friday night when she should be at home or out a bar alone.

“Ashley, did you know Killian used to be in the Navy?” Mary Margaret asks.

Killian and Ashley start talking about his time in the Navy while Emma heads to the bar to get more to drink. She orders two shots, throwing them both back before she goes back to the table. The bartender asks her if she’d like another round, and she quickly agrees. Before she can take the other shot, a hand takes it from and she turns to see Killian drinking her shot. He winces, not used to tequila.

“I think you’ve had enough, Swan.”

Turning around, Emma looks at Killian with anger in her eyes. “Who are you to say? I’m not a child, Killian, I’m allowed to drink on a Friday night out with friends!” She may have said this a little too loud if the looks she’s getting is anything to go by.

Killian runs a hand through his hair. It’s then she notices how good he looks in his jeans and red henley. “What’s been going on with you? Ever since we ran into Aurora yesterday, you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder.”

“This isn’t about her,” Emma rolls her eyes, gesturing for the bartender, but Killian beats her to it and asks the man for two waters. Emma meets his gaze with a challenge, but Killian’s always loved a challenge. He’s not going to be the one to back down.

“Why can’t you just admit you’re jealous?”

“Wow,” Emma shakes her head at him, crossing her arms. “This isn’t high school; I’m not jealous of some woman that looks like she spends her Friday nights knitting scarves for her family.”

Just as Killian’s about to respond, Emma slips past him to make her way back to the table. The two women are laughing at something David’s just said, and Emma asks what’s so funny. Killian comes back moments later with the glasses of water in tow. He doesn’t say anything, just puts his arm across the booth. By instinct, Emma moves away from him and it doesn’t go unnoticed by David.

“You both okay?” he asks.

“Great,” Emma says.

“Bloody wonderful,” Killian says at the same time.

The rest of the evening is tense between Emma and Killian, making things awkward for the rest of their table. When it’s time to leave, David claps Killian on the back, whispering something to him. Mary Margaret is rambling about how she needs to do some shopping tomorrow for a class project. David comes over to Emma, enveloping her in a hug.

“Swan,” Killian extends his hand to her, and she looks at him with utter annoyance. However, her brother and sister-in-law are watching as if they’re watching the final scene of their favorite TV series. Reluctantly, Emma grabs Killian’s hand.

“See you two Monday,” her brother says, waving a taxi down.

Emma starts to walk in the direction of her apartment, dropping the hold Killian had on her hand. He walks after her. “I’m walking you home.”  
“You’re not coming home with me,” she doesn’t even bother turning around. “I’ll be fine.”

Killian curses behind her. “Would you just stop?”

“Stop? You can stop acting like you’re my damn boyfriend, Killian! David’s not here. There’s nobody to act for, so just let me be so I can go home and sleep.” With that, she picks up her pace — she can hear him still walking behind her.

“If you won’t let me walk with you, I’ll walk behind you.”

He sounds hurt, but Emma doesn’t bother apologizing. Ruth always said she was stubborn, has said it since she adopted her all those years ago. Some things just don’t change with age no matter how hard you work on it. The hurt reflected in Killian’s voice shouldn’t bother her, but it does.

“I’m sorry,” she turns around to see him still trailing after her. He looks even better with his black leather jacket on. “I just — gosh, Killian.”

He catches up to her. “You don’t have to explain, Emma. You're right, I’m not your boyfriend. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you. Even when all of this is over, I’m still going to care about you.”

“Nobody has ever cared about me before.”

“David, Ruth and Margaret,” Killian states.

Emma shakes her head, continuing the short walk to her apartment. “They’re family; they sort of have to care for me. I’m talking about everyone else. Did I ever tell you about Neal?”

Killian knows about Neal. When Killian first started working with David, David told him all about his sister’s horrible ex. About how he set her up for his crimes so she had to spend close to a year in jail. How she found out she was pregnant while in prison and was forced to put her baby boy up for adoption. Emma has never told him about Neal besides the obvious: that she went through a bad breakup a few years before moving to Boston. He doesn’t bother telling her that he already knows the tale. He wants to hear it from her. 

It’s then, at midnight on the middle of a sidewalk that Emma tells him. At first, she doesn’t show emotions, but when she starts talking about her son, she lets the tears fall. Killian truly resists the urge to pull her close to him and promise that he’s nothing like Neal, but he’s not sure it would be welcome. At the end, she has wrapped her arms around herself and he can’t help but pull her into his arms. She goes willingly, her arms wrapping tight around him as she lets the tears that have been hidden the past ten years spill. 

Killian pulls back from her first, wiping the tears from her eyes. Emma looks up at him, tears clouding her vision. “I’m sorry for crying. Your shirt is probably covered in my tears and snot,” she laughs lightly.

Cracking a smile, he shrugs, his arms still settled around her. “Don’t care. I’m not Neal, love. I know that this is just a charade for your family, but I do care about you.”

Not willing to tell him that she cares too, she leans back into him. She has the strong urge to kiss him, but that wouldn’t be fair to him. She knows his feelings for her run deeper than just friendly affection. For now, she can let him hold her for now.

“You’re okay, Jones, but don’t let that go to your already big head,” she finally pulls away from him and they walk the few blocks back to her apartment in comfortable silence. When they get to her door, she asks if he wants to come inside for coffee. 

“It’s midnight,” he laughs, but he doesn’t want to leave her so soon after she just told him about Neal and about Henry, the name she had picked out one night alone in her cell. She hasn’t even told David that she had a name picked out for the baby she knew she would never hold.

Emma shrugs, opening the door for him and he doesn’t hesitate when he steps through the door. Though he’s been here before, it’s different this time. She actually wants him there with her. 

He settles down on the couch. The same couch he slept on not that long ago before Emma asked him to be her fake boyfriend. He can imagine a life with Emma. A life when they come home together, make dinner together, watch some cheesy movie together before falling asleep beside one another. Maybe some day she’ll let him in, but for now, he’s happy having a cup of coffee with her at midnight. Maybe for tonight, they’ll at least watch a cheesy movie together. Just maybe.


	7. Chapter 7

After such an emotional night, Emma’s relieved that Killian decided to leave before she awoke this time. Trudging her way to the coffee maker, she notices a note beside a paper bag with two bear claws. Beside it is a still steaming cup of what smells like a caramel macchiato. 

To thank you for your hospitality. -K

Emma smiles at that while taking a bite out of her pastry. Thankfully, today’s her day off so she doesn’t have to worry about stuffing herself with sugar. Today, she’ll actually get around to painting her bathroom that she’s been putting off for the past few months. However, as she dresses in her sweats and tank, there’s a knock at the door. She hadn’t invited anyone over, so it’s a gamble as to who’s behind the door. 

Looking through the peephole, she’s surprised to see Ruth standing with luggage. Opening the door, Ruth grins widely at her and throws her arms around Emma.

“Emma! I’m so sorry I didn’t call, but my heater is off and they won’t be able to fix it until Monday. Would you mind if I crashed here this weekend?”

“Of course, but you know David has a real bed for you to sleep in, right?” Emma helps Ruth with her luggage before shutting the door behind her.

Ruth settles down on the couch. “Oh I know, but I thought maybe you’d like the company, and we could spend some time together. It’s been so long since just the two of us have spent time together.”

She smiles at that and thinks about how she’ll have to put off the painting once again. But this is good for her; it will definitely take her mind off Killian and her feelings for him. 

“That sounds great, Mom,” Emma says as she takes a seat beside her mom. How she wishes she could confess to her about everything going on with Killian, but as far as Ruth knows, Killian and her are in the honeymoon phase. She can’t say anything that would cause suspicion. 

As soon as Emma showers, they head out downtown to go to lunch. Though Emma has lived in the city for years, Ruth always stays at David’s, and he lives a little outside the city in the suburbs. This is all new for Ruth. The holidays in Boston are a sight to see, though, so Emma’s excited that Ruth’s able to be here to see all the lights and decorations around the city.

They sit down at an Italian restaurant a few miles from Emma’s condo. Ruth is telling Emma all about the Christmas craft fair taking place in a couple weekends when the door opens to reveal Killian and his older brother Liam. Trying her best not to draw attention, she continues listening to Ruth as she sips from her wine glass. Ruth, however, looks up and waves at Killian. Killian looks surprised to see them, and Emma waves to him from her seat. Liam trails after his brother, giving Emma weird glances.

Emma’s only met Liam a handful of times, and from what she knows of him, he’s not as friendly as Killian. In fact, Emma is secretly intimidated by him.

“Ruth,” Killian bends down to kiss Ruth’s cheek as he introduces Liam. He then walks over to Emma, pressing a kiss against her hair. “Love.”

“It’s so great seeing you again, Killian and meeting your handsome brother!” Ruth exclaims. “Why don’t you two join us!”

Killian holds his hand up before settling one on Emma’s shoulder. “We couldn’t impose on your girls day.”

“Nonsense,” Ruth waves a hand over to their waitress, asking her to switch them to a larger table to accommodate them all. 

It turns out spending time with her mom was not going to take her mind off of Killian. What are the chances in such a large city that they would be eating at the same restaurant? The first few moments of the meal are spent with Ruth asking everything there is to know about Liam. Not once does Liam glance in Emma’s direction or even bother asking her anything. It makes Emma wonder what she’s done to offend him. They’ve only met the couple times.

Liam gets up to use the bathroom, and Emma excuses herself too. Killian raises an eyebrow at her, but she reassures him with a squeeze to his shoulder. She manages to catch Liam before he goes into the bathroom.

“Do you have a problem with me?” If anything, Emma has always been blunt, but she knows Killian is much the same. If his brother is anything like him, he’ll be receptive to the bluntness.

Liam sighs before raking his hand through his curly hair. Where Killian’s is dark, Liam’s is light. “I hardly think what I really think of you will do me any good where my brother’s concerned.”

Emma lets go of the grip she has on his arm. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I don’t think you’re good enough for my little brother,” he says, making his way into the bathroom, leaving Emma standing with her mouth hanging open in shock. 

Instead of storming back to the table, she makes her way into the opposite bathroom. She braces her hands against the sink. Liam’s opinion shouldn’t mean so much to her. Killian isn’t really even hers to begin with, so there’s no need to be upset that she doesn't have the approval of the older brother. However, he barely knows her enough to judge her for not being good enough for Killian. Who does he think he is? 

When she returns to the table, she takes a big drink of her wine, earning looks from the three sitting at the table.

“Sweetheart,” Ruth reaches across the table to grab her hand. “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” Emma meets Liam’s eyes from across the table.

It’s Killian’s turn to look at his brother. “Did something happen when the two of you left the table? Liam?”

The table remains silent as the brothers stare at each other. Ruth clears her throat, a sure sign that she’s uncomfortable with what is transpiring. The waitress comes back to deliver their meals and the rest of lunch is spent in relative silence with Ruth trying her best to stir up conversation.

On their way out of the restaurant, Killian grabs Emma’s hand to pull her off to the side. “Did Liam say anything to you?”

Emma looks behind her to see Liam staring at the two of them. Deciding to give Liam a show, Emma presses up onto her toes, bringing Killian’s lips to hers. He kisses her briefly before she pulls away with a “nothing to worry about, Jones,” before backing away to where Ruth stands. 

Killian stands in shock at Emma’s public display of affection. Liam crosses his arms, watching her walk away. “Shall we?”

***  
When they arrive back at Emma’s apartment, she makes Ruth and her a cup of hot cocoa on the stove. It’s silent for a moment before Ruth starts talking.

“Emma, honey, would you like to explain what happened with Liam at the restaurant?”

“Not really. I’m sorry,” Emma smiles at her, setting the mug in front of her.

Ruth pats the seat beside her for Emma to sit down. “You know, my brother-in-law and I had our differences, too. He would constantly question me whenever James and were together. He didn’t want his brother to get hurt, and I think that’s why Liam is too hard on you.”

How Emma wishes she could tell her mom the truth, but that might not go over so well. “Killian idolizes Liam…I just want to be able to fit into Killian’s life without having to endure the wrath of Liam each time I see him. It’s always been like this, even before we began dating.”

“Maybe you should talk to Killian about this. He adores you; I can see it in his eyes,” Ruth brings the mug to her lips to hide the beaming smile she has. She’s relieved that Emma has found someone to take care of her. As much as she knows that her daughter is more than capable of handling things herself, even the most independent people need someone. She’s glad Killian is that someone to her.

Emma rests her socked feet on her coffee table while queuing up a cheesy romance movie on Netflix. In the middle of the movie, there’s a knock at her door. Ruth raises a questioning eyebrow at Emma, but she isn’t expecting anyone. Not even David would drop by unannounced. Now, Mary Margaret, that’s a whole other story. Getting up, she pulls her sweater tighter around her, peeking through the peephole to see who her surprise visitor is. Two unexpected visits in just one unbelievably long day. Don’t people realize there’s texting that they can use to alert someone that they’re coming over? She’s surprised to see Killian shuffling back and forth in the hallway. 

Pulling up the door, she greets him questioningly. 

“Swan,” he gestures inside, “may I come in?”

She lets him in and Ruth is out of her seat, coming over to greet Killian with a hug. She is such a mom. After, she excuses herself to Emma’s room to give them privacy. They make their way into the kitchen where Emma offers Killian a mug of hot cocoa, which he declines.

“I wanted to apologize about Liam,” he takes a seat at her counter so they’re facing each other. 

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Killian.” She comes over to him, sliding into the seat beside him. “Liam doesn't like me for some reason, and that’s okay. We don’t have to be best friends, but I would at least like to be civil since we’re…whatever.”

He arches an eyebrow. “Since we’re whatever? My, Swan, that’s very romantic of you to say. Really know how to woo a man.”

Rolling her eyes, she moves from next to him. “Shut up, Jones.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I am sorry about how he acted. You didn’t deserve ay of that,” he says. “Well, I won’t keep you from your time with Ruth, but I just wanted to make sure we were okay.”

“Of course we are,” she reassures him. “You are my boyfriend.”

They both look at one another before erupting into laughter. It’s easy with Killian, and it’s again that Emma starts reminding herself that this isn’t real. That she’s better off alone and always has been. She doesn’t need a boyfriend to complicate things. He’ll just leave eventually, just like Neal did.

After reassuring him a couple more times, he yells a good bye to Ruth before placing a whisper of a kiss against her cheek. When he leaves, Emma leans against the door with a smile on her face.

“Well isn’t someone smitten!” 

Emma rolls her eyes, moving away from the door. Maybe she is a little smitten, but she’s not about to admit that out loud.


End file.
